The Largest Minority

December 12th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Obviously, this inmate isn’t Palestinian.

Mordechai Yehudai was awarded $1,000 from a lawsuit against Israel’s prison authority after he complained about his cell having cockroaches. Judge Irit Cohen wrote in her verdict, “The Prisons Service mistreated the plaintiff in a number of ways, including … broken windows, cockroaches as well as incarceration with smokers.”

A spokeswoman said Yehudai’s cell would be cleaned. “Prisoners have the right to sue us whenever they see fit and we comply with the court’s rulings,” she said.

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December 8th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

If you know of just one Republican presidential candidate who isn’t inexcusably ignorant on matters of both religion and science, please do inform me. Mike Huckabee has charmed some of us on the Left into believing that he’s a moderate (as if there is such a thing in either right-leaning party). However, during his 1992 Senate run, Huckabee advocated isolating AIDS patients from the general public, opposed increased federal funding for a cure, and said that homosexuality would “pose a dangerous public health risk”. To his credit, at least he didn’t suggest that we just kill ‘em all, but I imagine that probably would’ve been the next logical step.

In 1992, Huckabee wrote, “If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague. It is difficult to understand the public policy towards AIDS. It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents.”

Huckabee also suggested that it should be Hollywood celebrities who fund AIDS research out of their own pockets, rather than federal health agencies. He wrote, “In light of the extraordinary funds already being given for AIDS research, it does not seem that additional federal spending can be justified. An alternative would be to request that multimillionaire celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor (,) Madonna and others who are pushing for more AIDS funding be encouraged to give out of their own personal treasuries increased amounts for AIDS research.”

Huckabee now claims that his suggestions were given during a time of crisis when nobody knew how the disease was transmitted. However, it was common knowledge in 1992 that AIDS could not be spread by casual contact. Unscientific ideas regarding transmission were only perpetuated by fear-mongering homophobes during that time. In 1992, Huckabee said, “I feel homosexuality is an aberrant, unnatural, and sinful lifestyle, and we now know it can pose a dangerous public health risk.”

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November 10th, 2007 by J. Milton

For the last few months I’ve heard the term waterboarding defined as a “simulation of drowning.” As I had never seen the practice carried out, I formed a particular mental image of what this “simulation” probably looked like. I can’t really describe it with words, but the image was not particularly disturbing. And I’m sure this is EXACTLY the picture that the corporate-owned media wants to paint. A simulation is benign. A simulation is harmless. A simulation is ultimately not real. Thus, a simulation surely cannot be torture.

Recently, I ran across an article by former Government Special Ops agent Malcolm Nance over at the Small Wars Journal. Coincidentally, Malcolm Nance was also interviewed for a piece that OnTheMedia ran yesterday on the media’s coverage of waterboarding. A part of the article caught my attention immediately:

“2. Waterboarding is not a simulation. Unless you have been strapped down to the board, have endured the agonizing feeling of the water overpowering your gag reflex, and then feel your throat open and allow pint after pint of water to involuntarily fill your lungs, you will not know the meaning of the word.”

That’s when I decided to educate myself by reading the entire article and digging into some additional resources. What I found is nothing short of horrifying. And yet, our elected officials are debating whether this practice is legal or not. Republicans (save a few ex-military who were actually tortured with waterboarding) want to claim the practice as an “interrogation technique”. Democrats want to pass a law making waterboarding illegal. The entire affair is an exercise in absurdity. A torture technique for which American enemies have been convicted of war crimes cannot suddenly be whitewashed and then practiced *by* Americans legally. Similarly, we don’t need a law banning waterboarding. It’s TORTURE and there are already laws against it! Is it possible for politicians “of good conscience” to simply stand up and vow to enforce the law? Or is that an oxymoron. Below Malcolm Nance debates the issue:

October 22nd, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Professor Jens Lundgren from the University of Copenhagen, along with other members of EuroSIDA, have successfully demonstrated that by maintaining their course of “combination therapy” treatment, the immune systems of HIV-infected patients can be restored and normalized as the virus itself is prevented from mutating and spreading.

HIV attaches itself to CD4+T lymphocytes, which are white blood corpuscles that help the immune system fight infection. HIV mutates constantly, making it near impossible to develop a cure of vaccine. Combination therapy actually prevents mutation, allowing healthy CD4+T cell counts to rise. The immune system is then able to normalize itself if the combination therapy is continued.

Though a patient on the therapy would still have HIV, the improvement of their immune system would mean that they are no longer displaying the symptoms of the virus.

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October 5th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Stewart describes Bush’s villainy as rivaling that of a cartoon character after he has recently refused to tax smokers in order to give poor children healthcare. Oh, did we mention that these children are communists? It’s true. They’re like a miniature Red Army trying to impose the horrors of socialized medicine on you and your loved ones. Doctors will abandon their scalpels for sickles, and iron curtains will be placed around each patient’s bed. Bush further articulates his reasons for vetoing the bill. Enjoy.

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September 18th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

The American people have spoken, and apparently we’ve always wanted the insurance companies to have complete ownership over our lives. Hillary Clinton introduced her $110 billion plan which would require every American to purchase insurance. New options and coverage costs will allow the 47 million uninsured Americans to be able to afford insurance under her plan. Oh boy, we’ll finally have universal insurance in this country! There’s no better solution than tax credits for the poor. Problem solved.

Hillary patronizingly said of her plan, “I know my Republican opponents will try to equate healthcare for all Americans with government-run healthcare. Don’t let them fool us again. This is not government-run.” Clinton is correct. Her plan isn’t run by our potentially democratic and accountable government. It’s run by tyrannical profit-motivated insurance companies. Yes, the same companies who are major contributors to Clinton’s campaign and are the reason why our current system blows. With any luck, Hillary’s plan will keep us behind the rest of the industrialized world, while taking the issue off the table politically. Way to stick it to the man you fucking poser. Dammit I hate Hillary with a passion.

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July 28th, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Though the White House and Dick Cheney have freely ignored subpoenas, they have actually issued one of their own to Michael Moore. And though the Bush administration also knows Michael Moore is part of the press, and thus exempt under journalistic purposes from the Cuban Embargo, they still felt it necessary to take this action. Since Moore has pointed out the troubled design of our health care system in Sicko, there is absolutely no doubt that this action is being taken for purely political purposes.

Moore said he was notified about the subpoena at NBC studios on Thursday night just before appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. “I haven’t even told my own family yet,” He said. “I was just informed when I was back there with Jay that the Bush administration has now issued a subpoena for me.” Moore took three 9/11 rescue workers to Guantanamo Bay for free health care during the filming of Sicko, but was forced to detour into Cuba instead.

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July 23rd, 2007 by Manila Ryce

Despite the best efforts of my blinky computer monitor, which has apparently acquired free will, the second 35 Percenters’ video is out and ready for viewing. It’s nearly twice as good as “Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot”, but don’t quote me on that. The next video will then focus on impeachment and be ready in another week or two. You should subscribe to The 35 Percenters channel on YouTube to keep updated. In fact, the pope actually drunk dialed me last night so that I would remind our readers that anyone who subscribes to The 35 Percenters will get a direct pass to heaven. No layovers in purgatory or anything. I think you sinners should take the offer while it lasts.